Six days and five nights in Dalyan give you the most complete version of this coastal holiday in Mugla province. Alongside the classic river excursion to the rock tombs, the ruins of Kaunos, Iztuzu Beach and Koycegiz Lake, the programme adds a full day further along the coast at the abandoned stone village of Kayakoy and the green cliffs of Faralya, better known to Turks as Butterfly Valley. The second half of the stay slows down, with a practical Turkish cooking lesson and a visit to a traditional hamam, each followed by free time in the town centre. You stay in the same hotel in Dalyan throughout, with transfers from and to Dalaman Airport included.
The boat day introduces the region's deep past. Kaunos grew up as a port on the dividing line between Caria and Lycia, and according to myth it was established by Kaunos, a twin child of Miletos, in the 4th century BC. Its elite carved grand house-shaped tombs into steep limestone above the river, and these remain the signature view of Dalyan. Iztuzu Beach, where Caretta Caretta turtles nest between May and September, and Koycegiz Lake, born of earthquakes some 7,500 years ago and fed by streams and warm springs, complete the excursion. Kayakoy, a short distance from Fethiye, was the Greek-speaking town of Levissi with thousands of houses until its people had to leave during the 1923 population exchange between Greece and Turkey; today its roofless homes cover an entire hillside. At Faralya around two hours are set aside, with a possibility to swim.
Food and relaxation shape days four and five. In a local restaurant a professional cook shows you how to make the dishes Dalyan is known for, including okra, peas and spinach, blue crab and other seafood, and stuffed zucchini flowers, which you then eat for lunch. The next morning brings a Turkish bath experience arranged around your wishes and the hamam's opening times. The package includes five nights of hotel accommodation in Dalyan, five breakfasts and two lunches, an English-speaking guide, air-conditioned transport, the guided city, Kayakoy and Faralya, cooking and Turkish bath tours, and the entrance fees in the itinerary.
| Tour type | Private · multi-day tour |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 Days 5 Nights |
| Price | From €1,470 per person |
| Departures | Every day |
| Guide | Licensed guide in your language |
| Stops | 8 |
| Entrance fees | Included |
| Booking | Instant request online, confirmation within 24 hours · TÜRSAB-licensed operator (A-5751) |
Your full program, day by day — click a day to see every stop.
On landing at Dalaman Airport you are greeted by our representative and transferred to your hotel in Dalyan. After check-in and handover of your room key, the day is free for you to unwind. A gentle first evening by the river is a good way to get your bearings in this small town, where the cliff tombs are visible from the waterfront. No sightseeing is planned on arrival day. Overnight in Dalyan.
After breakfast you are picked up and taken to the point where the tour boats are moored. The first stop brings you close to the royal rock tombs, cut into cliffs angled at around 80 degrees and seen by archaeologists as a mark of the prosperity of Kaunos. You then walk among the remains of Kaunos itself, a coastal city in archaic times on the border of Caria and Lycia. The boats carry on to Iztuzu Beach, nesting ground of the loggerhead turtle, with a chance to see turtles from May to September, and finish at Koycegiz Lake, where about an hour of free time awaits before the transfer back. Overnight in Dalyan.
Following breakfast you are collected for the drive to Kayakoy, about 7 km from Fethiye. Your guide leads you through the ghost town, once the Greek settlement of Levissi, whose residents left in 1923 under the population exchange between Greece and Turkey; hundreds of empty stone houses still line the slope, not far from the remains of a Lycian settlement. The journey continues to Faralya, a green, sea-facing spot that Turkish people call Butterfly Valley. You spend roughly two hours here and may have the opportunity to swim before returning to Dalyan. Overnight in Dalyan.
After breakfast you head to a local restaurant for a professional cooking lesson. You learn recipes that represent the Dalyan kitchen: vegetable dishes with okra, peas and spinach, seafood such as the much-loved blue crab, and zucchini flowers filled with spiced rice. When the cooking is complete you enjoy the meal together as lunch. Later you are taken to the town centre for free time and shopping, and then back to your hotel. Overnight in Dalyan.
After breakfast you are picked up for a visit to a hamam, the Turkish bath tradition still enjoyed throughout the country. The timing depends on your preference and the bath's available hours. Afterwards you are dropped in the town centre for shopping and free time, and the remainder of the day is at your leisure. Overnight in Dalyan.
Enjoy your last breakfast in Dalyan and any free time before your flight. At the agreed time you are collected from the hotel and driven to Dalaman Airport for your departure, bringing your six-day Dalyan city and cooking holiday to an end.
Dalaman Airport – Dalyan → Kaunos – Iztuzu Beach – Koycegiz Lake → Kayakoy – Faralya (Butterfly Valley) → Dalyan (cooking lesson) → Dalyan (hamam) → Dalyan – Dalaman Airport
Modern, comfortable and fully-equipped vehicles — the same fleet we use on your tour.
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Extra day tours you can add along your route — Dalaman Airport – Dalyan, Kaunos – Iztuzu Beach – Koycegiz Lake, Kayakoy – Faralya (Butterfly Valley), Dalyan (cooking lesson), Dalyan (hamam), Dalyan – Dalaman Airport.
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